Truce
by Trincea
Summary: Allison arrives in Seattle as a resident transfer, with her own ideas of how her life is supposed to go. She never imagined the people she would meet there could change her life so effortlessly. AndrewxOC pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Coffee in hand, I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the expansive hospital in front of me. The sun was rising to my left, and I felt the familiar ache in my tired muscles from functioning on too little sleep and being awake far earlier than I would like. There was another sensation though, one of distinct anxiousness. Like one would feel on the first day of school. This was, after all, like the first day of school all over again – for the countless time in my 28 years of life. I felt myself ticking off the years in my head as I spaced out a little, lost in thought, 'Middle school, high school, undergrad, med school, internship and the start of my residency...".

Which brought me to where I stood, in front of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, about to join their surgical residency halfway through my second year as a transfer. My previous hospital in Virginia had been much smaller, and the idea of a hospital the size, and prestige, as this one was intimidating. Thinking back on the circumstances that preceded this one, I was glad for the sudden distance between me and my former home.

Glancing around at the trickle of employees walking in, I smiled softly to myself and slipped in behind them. I looked at the email on my phone again, following the numbers on the door until I found the one that I had been instructed to go to on my first day.

I knocked on the doorframe, peaking my head in to see a shorter woman standing behind her desk on the phone. She looked up and smiled, motioning for me to come in and have a seat. I remembered her from my interview—Dr. Miranda Bailey, chief of surgery. I had been thankful when I had met her before - it felt reassuring to be led by a confident woman in charge. I looked out of the windows at her office and watched the people hustle by across the atrium bridge, trying to not listen in to her phone call.

"Allison, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting! I hope you were able to make it here easily this morning," Dr. Bailey said as she came around the desk, extending her hand toward me. "I'm excited that you're here, I think you'll make a wonderful addition to our surgical program," she said, smiling warmly as we shook hands.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm very thankful to be here," I told her, returning the smile. She motioned for me to follow her, leading me down the hallway to the resident's locker room.

"I thought I could have you with Dr. Webber today, he's been an integral part of our residency program for a long time. He'll be able to get you acclimated and oriented pretty well today," she says as she opens the door to the locker room. Its empty, as rounds have already begun, which fills me with a sense of relief that I avoided the awkward introductions I was sure I would have to do.

"That sounds great," I reply as I look around the room. There is one empty cubby on the far right, and I walked towards it to sit down my small bag. "Is there anything I should know before starting here?" I asked, glancing back at her.

She thought for a moment with a slight smirk on her face. "Dr. Moren, there can be a lot of distractions. Especially as your work life bleeds into your personal life here. It is bound to happen; we all spend 75% of our lives here during residency. Just try to focus more than anything else."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I'll do my best, Dr. Bailey. I came here for a better chance than I was getting at UVA. I knew if I stayed there, I wouldn't be pushed to my full potential."

"I remember what you told me of what happened there, and I promise you that if anything of the sort comes up, you come to me immediately and I will put an end to it right then and there. Got it?" She said with pursed lips and a determined look in her eye.

"Of course," I promised, taking a small deep breath.

"Alright then, Dr. Webber is waiting for you at the nurses' station down the hall. Good luck today." She patted the door frame as she walked out, smiling at me before she disappeared back down the hall again.

I turned back to my cubby, reaching into my bag for my pen and hair tie. I clipped my badge to my white coat and pulled my long, dark hair up into ponytail before turning for the door.

I found Dr. Webber and his warm, fatherly demeanor was reassuring as he walked me through the halls of the hospital and explained the basics of their program, introducing me to some of the staff along the way. "I'll give you a few days before I assign you any interns, let you get the lay of the land first," he told me as we reached a nurse's station surrounded by doctors clad in the same blue scrubs I was wearing. "Dr. Moren, this is Dr. Schmitt and Dr. Helm. They're both surgical interns. This is Dr. Moren, our new resident." he introduced me, and I shook their hands.

"So, what brings you to Seattle?" Dr. Helm asked, and I gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Ah, well I just really like... the weather," I said awkwardly, glancing out at the clouds moving in. She gave me a slight raised eyebrow and shrugged. I laughed nervously, "Kidding... Mostly. I just wanted a better opportunity to grow as a surgeon." She seemed to believe this and turned back to the other intern. I was determined to keep my story to myself. People tend to pity you when they know what you've been through or find a way to use it against you.

After lunch, Webber left me to shadow Dr. Wilson, a fellow, while he attended a meeting. I sat behind her at a desk, looking over scans of one of her patients. I felt slightly overwhelmed trying to remember the names of everyone I had met when, yet another two doctors joined us in the office. "Wilson, you coming to happy hour tonight?" a young black woman asked.

"Yeah... Maybe if I'm not stuck in surgery all night. It's not looking too good at the moment," she said, leaning back in her chair. I looked up and made eye contact with the dark-haired guy standing behind her, blushing and looking back down at the computer screen again when he gave me a small grin. Wilson glanced behind her and seemed to remember I was there, "Oh! By the way, this is our new resident. Allison, right?" she asked, and I gave a small laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm the transfer resident from UVA. Allison Moren," I introduced myself with a small wave.

The young black woman stepped forward energetically, reaching for my hand. "I'm Maggie Pierce, head of cardio, and this is, uh, Dr. Deluca. He's a third-year resident on my service for the week." He gave a small 'hey' and nodded in my direction. "You're welcome to join us for drink tonight if you'd like! It's at the bar across the street!"

"Thank you, that's very sweet..." I said, trying to find a good excuse to shy away from too much social activity so soon.

"Come on, it'll be fun. Most people will be there, it'll be a good chance for you to get to know the other residents and attendings! Deluca, will you be there?" Maggie asked, not looking back at him, barely giving him a chance to pitch in a hesitant 'uh... yeah" before she continued "See! You'll already know someone! It'll be fun!"

I smiled, a little overwhelmed with my eyes wide at her level of excitement and fast speech. "Uh.. Sure. I'll be there." She accepted my yes happily, leaving with her resident in tow. "She seems... sweet," I giggled lightly and Dr. Wilson nodded in agreement.

"She's great. She's a brilliant surgeon, too. If you're interested in cardio at all, she's your go-to," Wilson confided.

I thought for a moment, watching the doorway where they had just left. "Right now, my interest is in general or peds. I'm sure that might change over time though."

"Hmm, well if you like peds then you're in luck. My husband is our peds attending and he's a rockstar," she boasted proudly, winking back at me.

"So, do you really think that this happy hour thing will be fun?" I asked, resting my head on my hand as I sat back in the chair.

"A bunch of exhausted doctors drunk? It's always an interesting time," she laughed. "You should see some of the dinner parties we've had."

I stood in the bathroom, fixing my eyeliner and hair, sighing. 'Good enough, I guess,' I thought as I ran a hand through my loose waves. I hadn't planned on going out for drinks after work, so my jeans and plain gray V-neck would have to do for the night. I made my way out of the hospital and across the street, the small bar standing out among the restaurants and small shops. I saw a few doctors I recognized and claimed a barstool on the end of the group as they chatted. I introduced myself to the nearest few, and then settled down with my drink and my phone, quietly replying to text messages when I noticed someone slipping into the seat next to me.

"You know that the point of these things is to make friends, right?" I heard them say, and I looked up to see the resident I had met earlier grinning at me. I tried to remember his name, Deluca I thought I recalled.

I rolled my eyes a little and giggled, "You know... I was getting to that part."

"Ah, so you're a 'few-drinks in' kind of girl then, that makes sense." I opened my mouth to protest but caught his playful wink and decided to let that one slide. "I heard you're from Virginia?"

The bartender brought his beer as I looked over at him, "I am... What else have you heard?" I asked, worried that other rumors had started.

He shrugged as he leaned against the bar on both arms, taking a quick drink. "Honestly nothing else. No one knows anything about you... Which I guess can be a good thing with the way people talk around here. You have a good story?"

I hesitated, running my finger around the rim of my glass. "It was a smaller hospital, not as many specialty learning opportunities. Plus, I wanted a change of scenery. Seattle has a much different vibe than the South. I like change, sometimes."

He looked over at me for a moment before I broke the eye contact, glancing down at my phone. "Pretty generic story then. Any family, friends, boyfriend here?" he pried, smirking a little.

"No, just me. No family, friends, or boyfriend here. Just me." I told him, taking a long sip out of my drink. "What about you?"

He took another drink before he sat back, shrugging. "Sister comes and goes occasionally, but for the most part, it's just me too." I nodded and was about to reply when someone called his name from the other side of the room. "Hey, we'll talk more later?"

I nodded and smiled, "Of course." I watched him walk away for a moment before someone next to me drew me into the conversation.

I made pleasant small talk for a while, long enough to finish three drinks. I looked at the clock and felt the tired for the first time all day. I excused myself from the conversation, leaving my money under my glass and stood up. As I gathered my things, I made brief eye contact with Deluca, but turned away to leave.

Walking out of the bar, I felt a hand push the door open for me and turned around to see him smiling sweetly down at me. "Can I make sure you get to your car okay?" I bit my lip a little and shrugged as we stepped outside. "It's getting late anyway, so this is a good time for me to leave too."

We walked silently for a minute, and I let him lead until we got to the crosswalk. "So have you decided on a specialty yet?" I questioned, looking for small talk to fill the silence.

He looked down at me, his hands in his pockets. "I have no idea honestly. I haven't made any decisions. I figured I would just keep testing everything okay until something felt right."

I sighed and nodded, "I can understand the appeal of that. I've always been a 'I-need-to-know-now' kind of person, so i try to plan everything out as much as I possibly can."

"And how has that worked out for you so far?" he asked quietly as we crossed the street. I stopped once we crossed and looked up around me at the skyscrapers and bright lights.

I let a quiet pause pass before I finally answered him. "Well, I've ended up here. Seattle was never in my original life plan, so I guess I've been forced to roll with the punches a little bit." I giggled as I stumbled back a step, my balance just a little off after three drinks.

"Woah, hey," he laughed as he reached out to steady me, his hands on my shoulders. I bite my lip as I looked up at him. "You sure you're good to drive home?"

"Hmm, mhmm. Maybe..., I think so," I said, slightly unconvincingly. He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes in slight concern.

"Do you want me to drive you home? I only had one drink, so I'm fine to drive," he offered, his hand on my back as we started walking toward the parking lot again.

"I suppose that isn't a bad idea, but if I leave my car here, how will I get here tomorrow morning?" I mused, fishing for my keys in my purse.

"I guess I can throw in a ride tomorrow morning too, no big deal," he said, winking at me.

"You really don't have to go out of your way, I don't want to be a bother," I admitted, stopping a few feet away from my car while he kept walking for a few steps. He turned back and looked at me, his head tilted a little.

"Hey, I really don't mind at all. I like you, and I'd much rather see you here at work safe tomorrow morning as a co-worker than as a patient." I sighed and nodded, putting my keys back in my purse. He reached his hand out and I smiled softly as I took it, letting him lead me to his car. Once we were settled in the car, I held my hand out for his phone to put in my address. "Can't say I remember a time I had a girl's address before her phone number," he teased and laughed while I tried to fight off a grin.

"So, you really don't have a girlfriend?" I asked, leaning my head back against the headrest and looking over at him. "I find that hard to believe," I slipped, internally chastising myself.

He chuckled and shrugged as we pulled onto the main road. "Ah, well it's a little complicated. But my last relationship didn't work out. I still see her at work, but we've been able to keep it professional which I'm thankful for. So, no. No girlfriend."

"Why do I feel like everyone there has dated everyone else. They all seem so involved in each other's personal lives." I noted, playing with my phone in my lap. He laughed and glanced over at me with a smirk.

"You have no idea. It's easy to date people at work though. They usually understand your work schedule and have similar interests, and you spend hours on hours with them. It's natural that attractions build up. And yeah, everyone is super involved in each other's lives. It's like a big family though, which is great," he says, his arm resting on the console between us.

"I saw some of that tonight. That's not something I've had before. Obviously, there's still competition, but it doesn't feel as cutthroat and cold as what I've experienced." I thought back to the co-workers I had left behind and felt peace with my decision to leave my former life behind for this new place. We made small conversation for the rest of the ride to my apartment, and I looked down at my phone as we pulled up outside of my building.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow morning?" he asked softly, looking over at me with a small smile. I nodded quietly, biting my lip a little.

"Yeah, tomorrow morning," I replied back, willing myself to get out of the car... somewhat unsuccessfully. Before I could move, I felt his hand on the side of my face and his face right in front of mine. I closed the distance and pressed my lips against his, my heart racing and head spinning, partially from the residual alcohol left in my system. After seconds that felt like minutes, he pulled back and let out a small laugh.

"Sorry... I shouldn't have..." he trailed off, his hand dropping to his lap.

I shook my head and tried to hold back the smile that was trying to come through. "No, that was... I'm not upset. That was... good," I grinned and looked back at my apartment. "I'll see you in the morning."

"I'll be here," he said, his eyes holding mine for a long moment before I opened the car door and walked into my building, glancing back to see him pulling away once the door was shut behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this short chapter, and very young story. I'm excited to see where this story goes. I have a few other chapters planned out, and plan on uploading as much as I can as fast as I can. It's been a few years (or 7) since I've written, so bear with me while I find my groove back. Right now this story is PG, but I plan on taking it M fairly soon ;) . This will follow canon for the most part up to present day (the story takes place in the future), though some minor details may evade me. Feel free to leave a review with your impressions and any advice you might have!**_

I had barely slept the night before. Falling asleep took forever as I let my thoughts roam, and I woke up far too long before my alarm was set for. Thoughts of my new position here in Seattle, of my family back home, and of the cute, dark-haired guy who kissed me the night before.

By the time Deluca pulled up outside of my apartment in the same spot he had dropped me off at the night before, I had already been awake for hours. I smiled sweetly as I slipped into the passenger seat, coffee in-hand. "Morning," I greeted, looking over at the sunrise starting in front of us.

"Hey," he smiled back, one elbow resting on the console between us. He pulled into the road, driving a few moments in silence before he spoke up again. "Uh, about last night. I'm sorry if I overstepped. I don't want to cross any boundaries."

I shook my head and shrugged, "I didn't... I don't mind, promise. I let you cross that boundary." He grinned playfully as I said this and laughed lightly, nodding in understanding. "Agree to be professional friends from now on?" I asked, defaulting to my usual of putting distance between myself and anyone who gets remotely close to me.

"Professional friends? Damn, that's brutal," he joked, winking and bumping my arm with his elbow. I giggled along with him as I blushed, looking out the side window so he wouldn't notice. "I can respect that. Professional friends."

"Well when you say it like that, it sounds weird," I protested, taking a sip of my coffee to prevent the stupid smile that was trying to come out.

"Okay, how about we agree to just friends? At work, outside of work. Friends feels less weird," he compromised, giving me a wink and a dopey grin.

"Okay, okay. Just friends," I smiled, allowing myself to steal an extra second of staring at him as he drove closer to the hospital. "So tell me about yourself, _Dr. Deluca_," I said with a teasing tone, crossing my legs as he turned onto the highway.

"Uh.. Well what do you want to know?" he chuckled before continuing. "I was born in Italy, but moved here with my mom when I was a kid. Most of my childhood memories are here, so this feels more of home than Italy does. And yes, I can speak Italian before you ask. Everyone always asks."

I giggled and nodded, "Glad I don't have to ask you that one then. You mentioned you have a sister?"

"Yeah, I do. She's an OBGYN. She's currently travelling around; she's done some research here too."

"Research? That's interesting, what's her topic?" I asked, taking another sip of coffee.

He sighed and shook his head, chuckling darkly as he looked out the window. "You know... as her little brother it's my least favorite topic," he started and I looked at him as we reached a stop light. He looked over, seeing my raised eyebrow before continuing after a long pause. "Female orgasms."

I choked out a laugh, my face turning a few shades of pink darker than I would have liked. "Oh.." I stumbled out as he nodded with a tense 'yeah' in response. "Well.. That _is_ interesting."

"It would be far more interesting to me if it wasn't my _sister_ I would have to discuss it with." I giggled and tried to hide my amused smile behind my hand.

"Alright, fair enough. Change of topic?" I asked and he nodded in relief. "What made you want to be a doctor?"

He pulled into the hospital parking lot, finding a spot easily. "I was an EMT right out of high school. It didn't take long of that before I decided I wanted to save lives, but in a different way. I haven't regretted my choice since."

I smiled thoughtfully, opening my car door. "I can respect that. EMT is a hard job. I'm sure you saw a lot of things out there."

He pursed his lips in a tight line, looking me in the eye as he nodded. "Yeah, you could say that."

We walked in together, and not long after we walked in the door, someone called his name so he stepped off to talk with them and I continued on to the resident locker room.

Once all of the residents were gathered for rounds, I had been assigned to an attending I had not met the day before— . Deluca had been assigned to Dr. Pierce's service again, and I saw the slight disappointment flicker in his eyes that I had not been paired with him for the day. I spent a large portion of my day learning the patients on Dr. Shepherd's service, running labs, and updating charts.

I found myself posted up at a nurse's station by the OR board, when Deluca and Dr. Pierce walked up to check the board. I looked up and smiled politely at them, trying to avoid making eye contact with Deluca for longer than a brief second. I had work to do, and I couldn't spend my afternoon day dreaming about the hazel eyes I spent my night thinking about. 'Just friends' I reminded myself as I redirected my attention to the computer screen in front of me.

"How's your day going?" I heard him say and looked up, seeing him leaning against the counter of the desk in front of me with a grin on his face.

I shot him a look and then smiled sweetly. "Good! I've been busy catching with scut work from Dr. Shepherd. I should have assumed that the brand-new resident transfer wouldn't see the inside of an OR in her first few days," I said, ending quieter so no one else behind me would hear my complaining.

He smiled sympathetically and reached down, patting me on the shoulder. "There's always tomorrow, right?" he asked, winking before grabbing his chart and walking off. I sighed, watching him walk away before I caught myself and turned back to my computer, trying to return to my charting.

"He's cute," I heard someone say behind me, and I looked up for a moment before I turned around, giving them a tense smile. It was Dr. Schmitt, the intern I had met the day before.

"Oh, you think so?" I asked, trying to play off that I, too, felt the same.

He chuckled and shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Come on, anyone would have to be insane not to think so." I laughed a little and shook my head.

"I've heard that everyone has dated everyone here, so I'm going to do my best to stay out of that," I said, looking down at my phone.

Dr. Schmitt gave me a look of slight disbelief. "Yeah.. Everyone says that. Good luck," he smirked with a quick wink, getting up and walking down the hospital hallway. I sat there for a moment, a little off-put by his comment before I decided to dismiss it and get back to work.


	3. Chapter 3

I finally began to find a rhythm in my life after my first week in Seattle, and I had started to feel comfortable with my new co-workers. I had never been someone who was significantly intimated by authority figures, but I knew that I had more to prove to these attendings as the new girl. I tried to keep my head down, doing what I was supposed to and quietly making sure I went above and beyond without stepping on anyone's toes. I had assumed that it would take a week or more for me to see the inside of an OR here, but on my third day, Dr. Shepherd offered to have me assist on a brain bleed case.

Neuro wasn't my best or favorite specialty, but I was willing to take any OR hours I could get. I had quite a few to make up on. I had planned on working over tonight, picking up some hours in the ER with the hopes of an emergency surgery falling into my lap.

I sighed as I trudged my way down to the ER, 3rd coffee of the day in hand. I knew I would have an intern for the overnight shift, Dr. Schmitt I thought I recalled. I claimed an open computer at the nurse's station in the ER as my spot for the night, and found the doctor on duty to fill me in.

An hour later, after I had finished stitching up a laceration on an 8-year old's knee and sent him on his way, I retreated to the desk to work on leftover charting from earlier in the day. I looked up as Schmitt approached me, leaning on the desk.

"Got any good gossip for me?" he joked, pushing up his glasses as he shifted the papers he was holding.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I'm the new girl who doesn't know much about anyone yet," I smiled, reaching for my coffee. He grinned and started in on a story about one of the other interns, and I, admittedly, spaced out after the first few seconds. I had looked back at my computer, nodding and laughing occasionally to let him think I was listening when I heard him greet someone else. I glanced over to see Deluca standing beside him.

"Moren," he greeted, giving me a slight nod and smile.

"Dr. Deluca, what are you doing down here?" I asked, avoiding eye contact as I glanced back at my computer.

"I'm working tonight. I figured I could use the overtime pay this week," he replied, handing something to one of the nurses behind me. "You?"

I shrugged, looking back up at him. "Hoping for OR time, you know, the usual." He chuckled and nodded, turning to ask Schmitt for a favor before moving to the spot in front of me. Leaning closer, he whispered in a tone mocking my own, "_Dr. Deluca. _So formal. I thought we were friends!"

I tried to hide my smirk and rolled my eyes playfully. "We are friends, but we're friends at work," I reasoned.

"Friends at work," he chuckled, his voice returning to a whisper. "We've kissed, you can call me by my first name," he teased, and I shot him a glare as he moved around the desk to the spot beside me.

"Oh, is that what you say to all of your friends you've kissed?" I remarked, a slight hint of bitter coming out in my voice. He looked at me for a moment before shrugging and leaning back in the swivel chair.

"I don't make it a regular habit to kiss my friends... Just the cute ones," he winked, glancing up to see Schmitt returning to us.

"Drop it, _Andrew_" I hissed under my breath.

I heard him chuckle to himself. "Better."

Schmitt shot us both a look as he approached, my face turning a light pink. "Mrs. Bartlett in bed 7 needs her discharge papers and the kid in 4 just needs antibiotics before he can leave," he informed me, reaching down for a highlighter.

Before I could speak up, Deluca stood up. "I can get the discharge papers for you, Allison." I narrowed my eyes at him, fighting off a smile.

"Thank you... and my friends call me Allie," I said, ever so spitefully and I caught his grin as he turned to walk away.

"Friends, sure," Schmitt giggled, his face sobering when I glared at him.

"Yes, friends, Schmitt. People can be friends. Don't read into it," I said through my teeth, huffing as I grabbed a tablet and headed off to a new admit.

A few hours later, as I approached the desk and reached down for my coffee, I watched Deluca leaned back in his chair tossing a stress ball into the air. "Must be bored?" I teased, looking up at the bored to see who needed discharged next.

"It's been nothing but strep throat and twisted ankles tonight," he complained, sitting up after catching the ball a last time. "Are you pulling a 24-hour shift?"

I shook my head, glancing at the clock. "No, I'm off-duty in an hour. I was just going to crash here until I have to be up for rounds in the morning."

He checked his phone and shrugged, "You can go now if you want. I can page you if we need the help." I smiled gratefully and handed him my clipboard of charts.

"Thank you," I said, glancing back over my shoulder toward the quiet ER. I turned back, blushing at his soft smile. "See you in the morning, Deluca," I winked, getting in one last jab before walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Happy last day of winter! I am excited to see the direction that this story is going, and the next few chapters have been partially written out (up through chapter 9!). This chapter is what I needed to help pull them all together. I intend to take this story as far as I can, with my goal chapters 30+. Please leave a review and/or send me a message with any ideas/critiques you have, and either favorite/set an alert for this story so you know when new chapters are posted! _**

**_Disclaimer: All original characters and canon storylines of Grey's Anatomy do not belong to me, just the pieces from my own imagination!_**

I had been assigned to Jo Wilson's service for the past two weeks, and as much as I had been intimidated by her during my first few days, I had grown to admire her. We found ourselves spending much of our free time together laughing and telling stories, and I began to consider her a close friend.

Today, we spent the majority of the afternoon raking over her presentation for the board later in the week. She sighed as she clicked through the PowerPoint for a 5th time. "I am so burnt out on this," she groaned, slinking down in her chair.

"Everything in the numbers checks out," I said, flipping through the stack of papers I had filtered through during the morning. "Maybe take the rest of the day off, and come back to it tomorrow with fresh eyes?" I suggested. She gave a small shrug, reaching the last slide of the presentation.

We were silent for a moment before she sat up, giving me a mischievous grin. "Hey, I have an idea!" I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "Want to go get take out and get drunk at my place?"

I laughed, "Uh, is that even a question? Pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza, works for me," she suggested. "You get the pizza, I'll bring the wine?"

I gathered my things, following her out of the office. "Deal," I smiled as we headed down the long hallway. We passed the desk in the lobby, where a firefighter stood talking to Deluca and Nico.

"Hey! Do you guys want to join us for alcohol and pizza tonight?" she asked. "Alex is out of town at a conference, and I get bored when I'm alone." I made eye contact with Deluca as I stood behind her and gave a small shrug. I hadn't seen much of him in the last few days, and I had chalked it up to being busy with surgeries.

"Um, sure, I'm in. Nico, you in?" he looked at the ortho fellow to his left and Nico offered up a 'yes'.

"Ben? We need to catch up! Are you working late?" Jo grinned at him, and he laughed, leaning against the desk.

"Nah, I'm off at 8. Miranda should be home with Tuck all night, so I don't think she'll mind. I can stop over after I get done," he answered, and she clapped her hands happily.

Glancing back at me, she winked. "It's a party then."

Once we were out of earshot, I looked toward Jo. "Miranda? As in Chief Bailey?" I asked with a curious expression.

"Yeah, he's married to the chief. He's a friend though, he was a resident with me until he decided to change careers," she explained, stopping at the attendings lounge. "See you in a few hours?" she grinned, disappearing inside before I could respond.

A few hours later, after I had showered and picked up the food, I knocked on the door to Jo's loft. She opened the door and immediately handed me a wine glass the moment she had taken the pizzas from me.

"I started a half hour ago, so I can't be the only half-drunk person here," she said, grabbing her own glass.

I laughed as I leaned my back against the edge of the island in the kitchen, watching her throw a blanket from the couch onto the bed. I took a long sip of the wine —it was a Moscato, which I liked. Sweet red wines had a special place in my heart though.

"When does Alex come back?" I asked her, slipping my phone into my back pocket.

She made a small frown as she walked over, climbing onto a bar stool beside me. "Friday evening, I think," she said, holding up her glass toward me, clinking them together before we both took a drink. "I feel like I don't know much about your life outside of the hospital. Do you have someone you come home to?"

I shook my head, swirling my cup lightly as I watched it for a moment. "No, I don't. I haven't dated for about a year now. Being a resident has kept me busy enough though," I admitted.

"No one that you're just messing around with?" she pride and I gave her a sheepish smile with a shrug. "Oh, come on, you're kidding! Really? How do you survive?"

I rolled my eyes and giggled; my face red as I took another drink. "Says the one getting laid on a regular basis because she's married!" She nodded, admitting that I was right. "I'm sure I'll get around to it eventually."

"Eventually, yeah right. You're hot as fuck! How has no one made a move yet?" I scoffed, hiding a smile as I felt my face flush from the wine.

"I didn't say that anyone hadn't, I just haven't let myself I guess," I told her, finishing the rest of my glass as someone knocked on the door.

Jo got up to answer it, and I reached for the wine bottle to refill my glass. I glanced back, seeing Andrew. I gave him a smile and a small wave as he followed her inside. Jo resumed her spot beside me as he went to the opposite side of the counter, reaching for the bottle opener to open his beer.

Jo looked up at him, taking a sip of her wine. "So, are you getting laid?" she asked him pointblank, and I nearly choked on my wine.

"Jo!" I scolded, shaking my head.

His eyes went wide, clearly caught off-guard. "Uh, wait... No, I'm not. Why?" he questioned suspiciously, looking between the two of us.

She shrugged nonchalantly, "Just curious."

"I think she was trying to prove a point, but she was wrong," I offered, shooting her a glance to shut her up. She giggled, winking at me over the rim of her glass as she raised it to her lips. "She's got a half hour on us," I sighed, shaking my head apologetically toward Andrew, and his amused grin made my head spin.

Once Nico and Ben arrived, we migrated to the couch where the boys ate most of the pizza. Jo and I each felt accomplished, each finishing our own bottles of wine easily. We talked for a long time; venting about our hours in the hospital and listening to Ben's stories about being a firefighter.

I listened to them reminisce on things that had gone down in the past few years in the hospital, playing with the hem of my gray sweater absentmindedly. I looked up as Jo was talking, and locked eyes with Andrew. We stayed that way for a moment before I broke eye contact, and when I looked back, he was focused on something out the window.

"Allison?" I heard Jo say my name and I came back to reality.

"Hmm? Sorry, I spaced out and didn't hear what you said," I smiled sheepishly.

"What did you say you were interested in specializing in?" Jo asked.

I leaned forward, putting my empty glass on the coffee table in front of me and pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I answered, "I've always been interested in general surgery, but I'm also interested in peds."

"Peds is hard," Ben remarked, finishing off his drink. "But you seem to have the heart for it."

I gave him a nod and small smile, "Thank you." I paused, my heart pounding as I debated speaking up again in my head. "My, uh.. My youngest brother developed biliary atresia when he was a month old. They tried a procedure, but it didn't work. He went into liver failure pretty quickly, and he died waiting for a liver transplant. He didn't make it to his first birthday. I was 8, so I developed this desire to fix everything because everything around me was broken. It wasn't long after that that I decided to be a doctor, so I could save lives in honor of him. I guess the urge to fix things never fully went away," I let out a light laugh, as Jo reached over to rub my arm. I hated when other people felt sorry for me, which was part of the reason why I rarely opened up to people. I gave her a small smile and shrugged. "It's okay, really. I was able to get over his death a long time ago. It just became my motivation instead of something weighing me down."

"Yeah, yeah, that's a good way to look at things," Ben noted, giving me a grin. "I like that positive attitude." I giggled lightly, checking my phone. Three hours had passed with us talking. I smiled to myself, feeling content that I had found people I felt comfortable with. I didn't feel as isolated and alone as I had prepared myself to be.

When Ben mentioned that he should head home, I took that as a good time to leave, and Andrew followed suit. I helped Jo clean up, and we said goodbye before I followed Ben out of the door. Andrew held the door open for me, and I bit my lip to keep from smiling as he headed down the stairs. Ben waved to us as he headed down the opposite direction from us, and I turned to Andrew with a skeptical look.

"You were quiet tonight," I noted and he shrugged, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I was thinking a lot," he dismissed, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Just thinking?" I tried to get more information out of him, but he shrugged me off with a slight nod.

"Yeah, a lot of it," he smirked, knowing that he was running me in a circle.

"We're friends, you can tell me," I teased with a giggle, though mostly serious.

"Friends, yeah. We're friends," he echoed, his voice more serious. I wrapped my arms around my torso, my decision to forgo a jacket not my smartest one. I glanced up, seeing Jo's window cracked slightly and I motioned with my head to walk toward our cars. Once we reached mine, I leaned against the side of it and looked up at him.

"What's going on?" I asked, my tone quiet and serious. "You've barely talked to me this past week." He was silent as he looked away from me toward the cars passing by. "Andrew." I got his attention, his eyes meeting mine.

"We're friends. That's what you asked for, and I've tried to pretend for weeks now that I'm not into you. I was intrigued by you, and I thought maybe my crush would go away over time. They usually do, but the more time I spent with you, the more I couldn't get you out of my head. So I decided that if I was going to be able to respect what you wanted, I needed to back away for a while. Until I could think straight with you around," he unloaded, running a hand through his hair as he stepped back, taking a deep breath. "I thought maybe tonight could prove that that idea worked..."

"But the feelings are still there," I said quietly, biting my lip as I looked at the ground for a moment. "It's not that I don't like you..." I started.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for you to say this," he interrupted, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Let me finish," I hissed, and he pressed his lips together in hard line. "I like you. I've thought about you every day. I've been trying to fight off feelings for you too. I just...I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship right now. I just uprooted my entire life...," I trailed off. He nodded and we were silent for a moment before I stepped toward him, my heart pounding in my chest. I hesitated for a moment before looking up at him again. "Kiss me," I whispered, and before I had a chance to wonder if he heard me, he had taken my face in his hands and pressed his lips against mine. I instinctively reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my body against his. I felt us step backward, my back against my car as he deepened the kiss. After a long minute, he broke the kiss; his face inches from mine, both of us slightly out of breath. I looked up at him, my mind a mess of confusion and excitement—both of which terrified the hell out of me.

"Andrew... It's late and we both have to work tomorrow," I said, my voice shaking as well as my hand as I raised it up, pushing back a piece of hair that had fallen onto his forehead. "I should go." He let out a long breath and nodded, his expression unreadable. He stepped back and let me walk around my car, but not before avoiding my eyes as I looked up at him. Before my car door shut, I saw he had begun walking down the street toward his car. I watched his car pull away into the street before I could will myself to put the key in the ignition, tears stinging at my eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

I sighed as I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling the next morning. I picked up my phone to check the time - 4:39am. My alarm would go off in less than a half hour, and I rolled over turning on my light. I had slept an hour, maybe two. I sat up, drawing my knees to my chest. I spent most of my time awake replaying the night before over and over again. I ran my fingertips over my lip absentmindedly, my stomach aching.

'What have I done,' my mind chanted. I couldn't explain to myself why I refused to give in to these feelings so adamantly. My last relationship had ended over a year ago, and while I had been hurt, I moved on a long time ago. The only thing getting in my way... was myself; I had to admit that.

I took a deep breath before throwing off my blanket and crawling out of bed. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror for a long minute, my hair laying in messy waves. I ran my fingers through, sorting out the knots and fixing the part. I noticed that the freckles I had acquired from living in the South during the summer had begun fading and my pale olive skin was evening out. My blue eyes looked tired, and the dark shadows under my eyes from lack of sleep were decently noticeable.

After I washed my face and hid the lack of sleep with make-up, I finally looked a little more human again. By the time I had finished getting ready, only an hour had passed. I sat on my couch, finishing my coffee before I decided to just go in early.

Walking into the locker room, I tossed my bag down and jumped when I heard a voice behind me. "Hey! We need to talk!" I turned around; my expression confused when I saw Jo walking toward me with her arms crossed.

"What's up?" I asked, pulling out my scrub top and pulling it over my camisole.

She gave me a look, sitting down on the bench behind me. "Allie, I saw you and Deluca making out last night." I froze, my head throbbing. "I didn't know you two were a thing! How did I not notice-," she began and I cut her off.

"We aren't a thing, Jo. And we weren't making out, it was just a kiss!" I tried to reason and she rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh, sure," she said, her voice suspicious.

I sighed and sat down on the bench beside her. "We kissed weeks ago... like my first day here. But I shied away because I didn't want to add drama to my life. We agreed to be friends. Then last night after we left your place, he... we both admitted that we like each other. I just... I don't know what to do," I confided.

We sat quietly for a minute, and I could tell she was letting me think. "Allie, he's a great guy. He's a great friend, and I'm sure he would be a great-" she tried to reassure me and I shook my head for her to stop.

"Jo, I have to figure this out," I stated and she nodded in agreement. "Can we just... can we keep this between us? Please?" I begged and gave her a look as another resident walked into the room.

"I promise," she winked. "Keep me updated?" I rolled my eyes and shrugged, slipping on my shoes as she left.

I decided to find a quiet corner to study the procedures we were practicing in the skills lab lecture today, and as I walked out of the locker room I caught a glimpse of Deluca talking to someone by the elevators. I made a split-second decision, and turned around, walking quickly in the opposite direction. Once I turned the corner and was definitely out of view, I breathed a sigh of relief. Relief that made me feel guilty. Why was I avoiding him? I couldn't answer that question either.

Once in the skills lab, I decided to claim the open seat across from Johnson, making him my partner for the day. As we discussed the details of the procedure, I looked up to see that Deluca had taken the seat at the table next to us. We made eye contact and I looked away quickly, pretending to be interested on the screen in the front of the room. I could feel his eyes on me, and I tried to read his expression from the glimpse that I got. He looked... angry? Sad? I couldn't tell.

I sat quietly through most of the skills lab, allowing Johnson to take the lead and do most of the work. I tried to help but found myself distracted and I couldn't seem to get the tools to cooperate. Johnson gave me a sympathetic smile after my fourth try. Dr. Webber roamed the room, giving advice and critiques before returning to the front of the room to lecture.

I kept my eyes on the table in front of me, occasionally looking up at the display screen to take notes. I let my gaze drift down from the screen to him. It lingered there for a few seconds, and all I could think about was the way kissing him made me feel. Like every nerve in my body was on fire, a slow-burning heat. I hadn't let anyone get this into my head in such a long time, and the prospect of letting him in was intimidating. I hated feeling scared. But there was another part of me that wondered what it would feel like to give in.

As I came out of my thoughts, I heard Dr. Webber dismissing us for the morning. I got up, grabbing my papers and walking past him, trying to not look over at him. I walked down a quiet hallway, in the opposite direction of the rest of the residents going to lunch. I reached the door to the stairwell, pushing it open wide enough for me to slip through and starting up the stairs. A few seconds later, I heard the door push open again.

"Allie!" I heard Andrew hiss behind me. I stopped on a step near the top of the first flight and turned around, my breath caught in my throat. "Why are you running from me today?" he asked, his expression unreadable.

I shrugged, not honestly knowing a good answer for his question. "What are you talking about?" I asked, my heart racing as he walked up the stairs to a few below me.

"What am I talking about?" he scoffed, his voice a little louder. "I saw you go the opposite direction this morning the second you saw me. You couldn't get out of the skills lab fast enough just now. You barely want to look at me. You asked me to kiss you last night then you walked away and now you're avoiding me!" He was quiet for a long few seconds and I looked down toward my feet. He was right. I had been thinking the same thing all morning.

I sighed and shook my head slowly, "I-...I don't know... I have no idea what I'm doing," I admitted and he chuckled ironically.

"Yeah, clearly," he muttered. "If you don't want anything, that's fine. Just tell me. I can take rejection." I opened my mouth to protest but he stopped me. "I have no idea what to do with these mixed signals I'm getting from you, though. If you're scared, that's fine. Just... please, stop running and talk to me."

I bit my lip and nodded. "I don't not want you," I said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I panic in situations that I haven't thought through in every detail. But I do.. I really like you," I felt myself giving up a tiny bit of control as I heard those words leave my mouth. Letting go of thoughts that I had been hiding from. I watched as his face relaxed, his lips fighting back a smile.

He took a step up to the one below mine, his eyes level with mine. He reached up, brushing my hair back from the side of my face. "You're like a butterfly," he smirked, his eyes drifting from mine to my lips for a moment. "If I move too quickly, I'll scare you off."

I giggled lightly and rolled my eyes, but I knew he was right. "If I promise I won't run time, will you kiss me again?" I asked, my voice soft.

He didn't answer me, only moving his hand to cup my cheek before pulling me toward him. I closed my eyes and shivered as our lips melted together easily. 'I could do this forever,' I thought, my hand resting on his arm. He pulled away first, and I sighed when his lips left mine, my head spinning. I let my hand drop, my fingers brushing against his.

"I need time to figure out what I'm ready for, but I won't avoid you anymore," I promised, my cheeks flushed. He smiled, leaning down to give me a soft, chaste kiss.

"I can do that," he whispered, his face next to mine. He kissed me on the cheek before retreating down the stairs. I watched him leave, and before he pulled the door open, he looked back and gave me a wink. "See you back in there?"


	6. Chapter 6

I knew that Jo was working an overnight shift, so I came in early to talk to her. I found her sitting at the table in the attending's lounge and slouched into a chair next to her. She handed me one of the pretzels from the bag she was snacking on, and I happily accepted it. I skipped breakfast this morning, and I was already beginning to regret it.

"How was last night?" I asked and she groaned.

"Oh god, don't even ask. I think is the first thing I've eaten since lunch yesterday," she frowned, and I smiled sympathetically. "I know you aren't here to talk about my night though," she gave me a pointed look with a little smirk.

I sighed and shook my head lightly, "We kissed again yesterday..." I trailed off and her eyes were wide as she lightly slapped me on the arm.

"Why didn't you text me! You held out for an entire day!"

I giggled at her complaint before my mood sobered up, "I don't know what to do."

"You've been saying that, Al. What's stopping you?" she coaxed, and I was thankful for someone to push my thoughts along. I had gone in circles for most of the night trying to make sense of my feelings.

"I was so determined to move here and just focus on learning to be a surgeon. No distractions," I started to explain, and she chuckled.

"Girl, let yourself live a little!" she tried to encourage me, and I sat up from my slouching position.

"Jo, I can't have what happened to me before, happen here," I said, my voice quieter. She gave me a curious look, her brow furrowed slightly. I took a deep breath before continuing, "I was the best intern in my program. I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I threw myself into work even more, and I caught the attention of one of the attendings. He kept picking me for his surgeries, and I didn't think anything of it. I just figured that he was recognizing my hard work," I rolled my eyes and ran a hand through my loose waves.

"It started out with small compliments and getting inappropriate looks from him when he thought I wasn't looking. Then it turned into putting his hand on my leg or lower back when he would find me alone. He was married too. That was the grossest part. I was too scared to tell him to fuck off, but I tried to politely decline..." I shrugged. "I thought he had gotten the hint. But then one day, he overheard one of the residents I had hooked up with after my break up talking about sleeping with me. I think he got jealous. I mean... I can't think of any other way to describe it. He came to me and told me that if I didn't sleep with him, I'd never scrub in to another one of his surgeries again."

"Fucking gross!" Jo hissed; her expression disgusted.

I nodded in agreement. "I tried to go to the chief and tell him what happened, but he didn't believe me. I was told that I had just misunderstood what he had said to me. He had already run his mouth to the other attendings that I was trying to sleep with him for OR time, and I was all but officially blacklisted from surgeries. After a month of being given scut nearly every day and listening to people whisper behind my back, I started looking at other programs. I was done. I worked too hard to let that happen to me." My eyes burned, and I blinked quickly to stop from crying.

"Allie... I'm so sorry," Jo said quietly.

I shook my head immediately, "Don't feel sorry for me. I did what I had to do, and I'm glad I did it. I just... I'm scared to let myself get involved with someone and find myself in a similar situation. That's why I told myself no distractions. Dr. Bailey knows everything. As soon as I knew that this hospital was led by a female chief of surgery, I had hope. But part of me is still scared and I'm sure that everyone back there thinks that I just ran away. Technically I did run away from it. I guess my logic is that if I don't let anyone in, I don't have to worry about anything, right?" I laughed, my tone dry and ironic.

"And then my first day here, I let my guard down and kissed the cute guy who drove me home. I was so mad at myself. I've tried to ignore my feelings for weeks, but..." I trailed off, shrugging before reaching for my water bottle.

"We would never let that happen here," she reassured me, and I gave her a thankful smile. "And Andrew is a really good guy, I can promise you that. But I do understand how scary it can be to let someone in after something traumatic like that." I tried to fight off the urge to cringe at the word 'traumatic'.

"He's had his heart broken a few too many times in the past few years too, so I'm sure he's a little scared too," she continued just as Alex walked into the lounge.

"Who's scared?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her before nodding a hello toward me.

I gave Jo a look before smiling back at Alex, giving him a small wave. "No one, babe," she grinned up at him. "We're just having girl talk." He gave us a weird expression before grabbing something out of the fridge. I giggled, noticing how much lighter my heart felt after telling Jo everything.

"Gross," Alex shook his head, rushing back out of the room as he muttered something about a meeting.

"Can we keep this just between us? I don't like when people feel bad for me..." I started to ask, and she put her hand up to stop me.

"Of course! I totally understand not wanting to have everyone know some of the worst details of your life. I'm glad you talked to me though," she gave me a little smile, reaching over to pat me on the arm. I thought back to some of the things Jo had shared with me before—living in her car, her abusive ex—and I knew she did understand.

I checked my watch, noticing it was almost time for rounds. "Are you going to be at the M&M this morning?" I changed the subject, flicking through the notifications on my phone from the night before.

"Absolutely not," she stated, brushing a crumb off of her lap. "I will be dead-to-the-world asleep."

We both stood up to leave, and she turned to me. "Allie, I swear to God if you don't text me if anything big happens..."

I giggled and rolled my eyes, "Okay, okay! Point taken, I'll text you." She grinned proudly before we parted ways. As I headed to rounds I yawned, knowing I was in for a long day. 

Later that morning, the resident locker room buzzed with excitement of today's pending M&M as everyone gathered after rounds. I made small talk with the girl next to me, Angela, about our surgeries from the day before. As we walked out of the room, I made eye contact with Andrew as he talked to Johnson. He gave me a brief, soft smile, and I couldn't help but return it.

I realized I had spaced out of the conversation, suddenly coming back to the present as we joined the crowd filtering into the auditorium. Angela, still telling her story, led us down a row of seats toward the center of the room. As we sat down, I looked over to see Johnson beside me, and Deluca next to him. 'Of course,' I thought to myself, fixing my eyes on the stage for a moment. Angela leaned over, asking Johnson about being on Dr. Shepherd's service, but before he could answer his pager went off.

"Dammit, seriously!" he grumbled, getting up and slipping out of the row he had just entered. We chuckled, amused, before I became acutely aware of the empty distance between myself and Andrew. I glanced down at the seat, noticing him do the same before he got up and moved over, winking at me with a sly smirk.

"That was convenient," he said quietly. "How are you?" We made eye contact for a moment and I shrugged, fidgeting with my pen.

"I'm good," I replied, my voice low. "Did a lot of thinking last night."

"Any thinking that you want to tell me about?" He asked and I started at my notepad, doodling in the margins. I noticed he had taken a post-it note out of his pocket and I watched as he played with the edges before folding it.

Before I had the chance to answer him, Dr. Bailey stepped up to the podium and began speaking. I tried to pay attention to the screen but found myself zoning out as I thought back on last night. I spent all of last night trying to make sense of every thought that came to me and every feeling I had. However, no matter how hard I tried, I came up just as confused each time. It wasn't until I had talked to Jo earlier this morning that I felt like I had some clarity. I stole another look over, seeing that he had folded the post-it note into a butterfly. I bit my lip to keep from smiling, and the pit in my stomach ached.

Angela looked over and whispered a question, but because I hadn't been listening at all, I just shrugged and tapped my pen absentmindedly. Dr. Bailey asked a question and as hands went up across the auditorium, I stole a glance over at Andrew. His eyes were fixed on the post-it butterfly in his hand, his finger running along the edges.

The M&M ended about an hour later, and as staff scattered, I received a page from Dr. Grey's intern- I was on her service for a kidney transplant this afternoon. I was excited to finally get OR hours for general surgery, and this would be my first time working with Dr. Grey. I admired her; she didn't seem to take any bullshit from her residents.

She had paged those of us scrubbing in to a consult room to brief us and divide us into teams, as the donor was in house. I walked in, following two interns and stood just in front of Helm. I heard her whispering to the person next to her, and Dr. Grey shot them a look as everyone was standing quietly. They immediately shut up and I tried to hide a smile. I knew I wanted to be a badass surgeon like that in the future. Dr. Bailey joined us, and the last of the teams trickled in. I stole a look over, wondering who would be in with us, and felt my stomach jump when I caught sight of Andrew standing in the back of the group. I turned around quickly, my eyes fixed on a spot on the ground while Bailey and Grey began giving the run-down.

I tried to stifle a sigh as I admitted to myself that I would have a difficult time concentrating if he was in the OR with me.

Dr. Bailey began listing off names, ending with Andrew. "You'll be with me retrieving the kidney from the donor. The rest of you will be with Dr. Grey with the recipient." I felt my shoulders relax

They dismissed us and as I turned around to follow the group out of the room, I heard Dr. Grey call my name. I looked back and she motioned me over with a polite smile on her face. "Dr. Moren, how comfortable do you feel with the steps of a kidney transplant?" she asked as I walked over beside her.

"Uh, well I've observed twice as an intern in my other program," I admitted, trying to recall every step in my memory.

"Good," she commented, handing me the chart. "Would you like to assist today?" My eyes widened and I nodded, a little too eagerly. "I'll see you in there then."

As I left to head down to the locker room, I saw Deluca leaning up against a wall waiting for me. "Assisting, huh?" he grinned, bumping his shoulder into mine.

"Were you spying?" I accused; my tone more playful than serious as I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. He shrugged and refused to answer me. "Don't make it a big deal. I'll freak myself out if I let it be a big deal."

He chuckled, standing behind me as I handed a paper to a nurse. "Dr. Grey is a great teacher. She won't let you drown in there," he confided, giving me a reassuring smile. "You'll do fine."

"Just fine?" I gave him a look, more amused than irritated.

His pager went off, signaling that it was time for the first team to scrub in. As he started to walk away, he looked down at me and winked. "I already know you'll be amazing." I tried to fight off the smile that spread naturally as I watched him disappear around the corner. 

The transplant surgery went off without a hitch, but nearly immediately after scrubbing out of that surgery, I received another page from Dr. Grey. One of her patient's was bleeding into his abdomen, and she wanted me to scrub in with her again for the repair. 'This must mean I'm on her good side, right?' I thought, thankful that I hadn't embarrassed myself.

I entered the scrub room and Dr. Grey greeted me with a polite smile as she rinsed her arms quickly. "Ready for round two, Dr. Moren?" she remarked before disappearing through the automatic door. I let out a huff as I got myself focused again, refusing to feel any sort of tired as I scrubbed in for the second time today.

I sighed as I walked into the locker room, my feel nearly dragging with exhaustion. I took a glance at the clock as I stepped up to my cubby—1:30am. Everyone else had either left for the night or crashed in an on-call room, and when I went to reach for my phone, my breath caught in my throat. There, laying on top of my belongings was the post-it butterfly.


	7. Chapter 7

I groaned as I woke up, rolling over on the hard cot mattress. I blinked my eyes, looking around the room before I remembered that I had spent the night at the hospital after getting out of surgery so late. I picked up my phone and turned off my alarm, frowning at the current time. '_Five hours of sleep sucks, but it's better than nothing_,' I thought as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I pushed my fingers through my hair, sorting through the slightly tangled mess of waves falling over my shoulders. I had somehow managed to stay awake long enough to shower the night before. I climbed out of the small bed, stretching with a yawn. I pulled on my white coat, slipping my phone into my pocket before heading back out to start a new day.

I stood in line at the coffee cart, flicking through the notifications on my phone as I waited.

"Good morning," I heard a familiar voice say behind me, and I turned around to see Andrew smiling down at me. I felt my heart jump in my chest a little, and I returned the smile as I remembered the little butterfly laying in my locker.

"Hey," I said, noticing the helmet in his hand. "Wait... Do you have a motorcycle?" I asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk as I gestured toward the helmet.

He chuckled and shrugged, turning it around in his hands before he looked back up at me. "Yeah, I do. It was a beautiful morning, so I thought I'd take it out for a change." I looked away and shook my head a little. I didn't need yet another reason to be attracted to him.

"_Of course _you do," I giggled as I stepped up to order my drink.

He gave me an amused grin and I rolled my eyes playfully. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked before taking his turn ordering. I shook my head to brush it off, biting my lip as he looked away. His curly hair had been slightly messed up from wearing the helmet, and I decided that I liked his hair not as meticulously styled as it usually was.

"So how did surgery go yesterday?" he questioned as we walked away, his arm bumping into mine as he smiled down at me.

"It went good, I think. I mean... I was asked to scrub into another emergency surgery right after, so I must not have messed anything up too badly," I said after taking a sip of my coffee, glancing up at him.

He nodded, giving me a small smirk. "Didn't I say that you'd be amazing?" he teased, winking at me. I looked away, trying to will the blush creeping across my cheeks to stop.

I nudged him with my elbow as we turned a corner, shaking my head. We walked into the lobby and he stopped at the desk. Turning to look at me, his expression more serious. "Hey, can I see you tonight? We should talk," he asked, his voice softer.

I felt my heart flutter, my eyes locked on his for a long moment. "Yeah, I'd-" I started to respond, cut off someone saying my name.

"Dr. Moren!" I looked over, seeing Dr. Grey walking toward me. "I was going to page you, but I'm glad I ran into you!" she said, giving me a warm smile before glancing up to Andrew. Her face impassive with her smile tight-lipped. "Deluca," she greeted, giving him a short nod.

He took a small step back, glancing between the two of us. "Dr. Grey," he said, the tone of voice much more distant than just a moment ago.

"I'm looking for a resident to work with me on a research project. I was impressed yesterday, and I asked around. Other doctors have spoken highly of you, too. If you're interested, I'd love to work with you," she offered and I blinked in surprise, trying to hide my excited grin.

"Uh, yes absolutely," I accepted, "I mean yes, thank you Dr. Grey." She gave me the room number before starting off for the elevators. My mouth open in slight shock as I looked up at Deluca. "I guess I did good yesterday then?" I giggled nervously and he nodded in quiet agreement.

I noticed that his expression had changed, and I gave him a curious look. "Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," he said, shrugging it off. "I have to go, but I'll find you later?" He gave me a small, unconvincing smile as he backed away. I watched him walk up the stairs partly before I sighed, turning toward the elevators.

As I walked into the research lab, I saw Wilson and Helm sitting at a table intently studying something on a laptop. Jo looked up, waving me over excitedly as she leaned back, allowing me to see the screen. It was the outline of a device with measurements and specifications written in the margins. "What is this?" I asked, pulling over a swivel chair beside her.

She grinned as she looked over to me, "The future of diagnostic medicine." I raised an eyebrow at her before I looked back at the screen. Helm was furiously taking notes on a yellow pad, nodding in silent agreement. "Grey has been working on this for months now, and she thinks she's figured out enough to start clinical trials with a prototype. I knew you'd want in on this," she winked at me.

I gave her a thankful smile, confirming my low-key suspicions that she had been one of the recommendations. "Yeah, she caught me a few minutes ago while I was chatting with... _someone_, and asked if I'd want to join in," I said, nonchalantly, while shooting Jo a look. She nudged me with her shoulder with a smirk, handing me a small stack of papers.

"Any updates with that?" she asked, her voice quieter and I shook my head. She shrugged before changing the subject, "This is a dream come true for my fellowship. Talk about innovation!" She flipped through some of the papers, pointing things out to me as Dr. Grey walked in followed by Dr. Shepherd.

My head still spun when I tried to figure out how everyone at this hospital was interconnected. I vaguely remembered Dr. Shepherd being referred to as Dr. Grey's sister but so had Dr. Pierce, and I was still confused on the specifics. Dr. Shepherd gave us a small smile as she continued their conversation, "Okay, so the date was good! That's a good thing! Is there going to be a second date?"

Dr. Grey sighed and giving her an exasperated look over her shoulder, "Amelia, I don't know. Maybe? I have three kids and I'm a surgeon, time is not an easy thing to find."

Amelia plopped down into a small swivel chair across from us, spinning it around. I tried to keep my eyes down on the papers we were looking through. "Yeah, but that's always you're excuse. That was your excuse for turning down dates before and after Riggs, that was your excuse during that weird love triangle with Linc and Deluca. You can't use it a third time. You have ample babysitters and you can take a little time off work once in a while," Amelia rambled. I froze as my stomach dropped, my eyes glancing up at Dr. Grey. She met my eye contact for a fleeting second before rolling her eyes at her sister.

I notice Jo shift in her seat a little and I was sure she could sense my sudden discomfort with their conversation. This was one of the reasons why I didn't want to get involved with anyone at work in the first place. Getting into personal drama with one of my attendings was one of the last things I wanted to do after coming here. I knew what it had felt like to be singled out and I was terrified of it happening again.

I thought back to just earlier this morning, when he took off after Dr. Grey stopped me in the lobby. '_That explains it,'_ I thought bitterly, coaxed out of my thoughts as Dr. Shepherd stood up out of her chair.

"Helm, can I borrow you for the day for a spinal fusion I have this morning?" she proposed, and Helm agreed. As they left, Dr. Grey mentioned needing to grab papers from another office.

Once alone, Jo looked over to me. "You didn't know, did you?" she asked, her voice quiet.

I glanced away and shook my head, trying to sort through my thoughts. "Why didn't you say anything yesterday when we talked?"

"I... I thought he had told you already. I guess I figured that was why you were worried. I'm sorry, Al," she apologized and I nodded a little, biting my lip. I knew she had been dealing with a lot in her own personal life, and I couldn't expect her to keep track of my shit too.

"It's not your fault," I reasoned, giving her a small smile and a small shrug. "I'm supposed to see him tonight, but I'm a little pissed honestly," I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I leaned back in the chair. We were silent for a moment while I mulled over what I wanted to say. "How long ago was it?" I pried, not entirely positive that I wanted to know the answer.

She shrugged and crossed her arms as she turned her chair toward me. "They broke it off maybe a month before you moved here..." she recalled. "As far as I know, it was a clean break. There hasn't been a ton of drama around it. I understand your worries, which are understandable based on your past. But I would just talk to him first; see what his side is."

I nodded silently as Dr. Grey came back in and started talking to us about her research. I tried to focus, smiling appropriately so that she would think I was paying attention. It would be so easy to let my fear take over and shy away again, and I tried to fight off a sigh as I debated in my mind. Dr. Grey turned to log something into the computer and I closed my eyes for a second, trying to bring myself back to present.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and I slipped it out to see who it was from, biting back a smile when I saw his name.

"Dr. Wilson, I believe you are scrubbing in with me on my lap chole in an hour. Moren, are you okay with submitting the proposals and setting up a lab rotation schedule today?" Grey requested, handing me a folder and a laptop.

"Of course, Dr. Grey," I smiled politely at her, taking the items before she left to prep for their surgery.

As Jo gathered her stuff to leave, I pulled my phone out to read his text. "He said that he's going to be stuck in an office all day, and asked if I'm going to have free time," I admitted to her, resting my head on my hand against the table. "What do I do?"

Jo nudged me, giving me a knowing glance. "Just go talk to him. Don't write him off until you get the full story, okay?" I nodded in agreement and sighed, biting my lip a little. "You can do this stuff anywhere. You can tell me all about it later," she grinned, giving me a wink as she got up to leave as well.


	8. Chapter 8

I hesitated as I found the office he was working in, debating on turning around and going back up to the lab. I moved the laptop and folder I was carrying to the other arm and walked up to the door, biting my lip a little as I knocked on the door frame. He glanced up from the computer he was sitting in front of, his concentrated expression softening into a soft smile and I felt my previous irritations fade from my mind as I returned the smile.

"Hey," he said, his voice quiet.

"Hey," I replied, leaning against the door frame for a brief moment. "Can we talk?" He nodded, moving his papers over so that the spot beside him was open. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me before I sat down in the chair.

I ran a hand through my hair as he leaned back in his chair, looking over at me. "What's up?" he asked, tapping a pen against his other hand.

"Meredith Grey?" I brought up, my tone posing her name more like a question. He winced a little and I noticed the small tense wrinkles at the corner of his eyes as they studied my own for a moment before he looked down at his hands. "I know you said that you saw your ex at work... I guess I had never expected it to be an attending. I could have asked who it was, but I'm a little mad that you never said anything. And then this morning you got all weird when she walked up, and it makes so much sense now-" I rambled, immediately feeling the need to fill the uncomfortable silence.

He shook his head, cutting me off, "Allie, stop. Can I explain?" I stopped myself, giving him a quick, apologetic smile. "I did date Meredith a few months back before you moved here. It was fun but looking back I can see that it was never going anywhere. I should have mentioned it a long time ago, I'm sorry" he admitted as I listened quietly.

"I'm not mad," I told him, shaking my head a little. "Do you still have feelings for her?" I asked quietly.

"No, I don't. I mean seeing your ex is awkward for a while, but I think most of the feelings I had were from the excitement. We're in two completely different places in life, so it was never going to go further than a fling," he shrugged.

I bit my lip as I looked down, feeling some of the nervous tension in my stomach fade though one persistent worry still stuck in my conscious and I debated internally whether to bring it up. In the end, I knew I needed some sort of answer before I could let down any guards I had up. "Do... do you think me being involved with you would interfere with my work with her?" I questioned, carefully trying to choose my words.

He shook his head and I could tell by the way his brow furrowed and the slight downturn of the corners of his mouth that he hadn't caught on to what I meant. "I-I've had to make a choice for my career before, and I uprooted my entire life for it. I..." I paused, my heart pounding as I spoke again. "I know what it feels like to be excluded and singled out, and I don't want something similar to happen here."

"Allie no, absolutely not. It might be a little weird at first, but I don't think she would ever do anything to hurt your career. Obviously, she likes you, she wants you on her research!" he encouraged, nudging my arm with a wink.

"Anyone else I need to know about?" I teased and raised an eyebrow as he grimaced, shaking his head.

"Okay, I may have dated Dr. Pierce when I was an intern, and I had a crush on Jo after..." his voice trailed off.

"Jo? After what?" I asked, giggling in slight disbelief.

He gave me a look and rubbed a hand over his face. "Alex came home one night and saw me trying to put Jo to bed because she was way too drunk, and, uh, got the wrong idea. He... sort of snapped, and I can't say I blame him. He thought he was protecting her."

I nodded, listening to him quietly. I had noticed a small scar over his left eyebrow which had a backstory now. "Thank you, for telling me," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as we locked eyes again and he gave me a soft smile. I glanced down at my hands to break the eye contact, noticing that I had been fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve absentmindedly.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as he reached over to brush my hair back. His hand cupped my cheek and I let him pull my face closer to his, our lips brushing against each other before I closed the distance. I sighed as we molded together easily, my fingertips brushing against his jawline.

We broke apart moments later, both of us slightly out of breath as he rested his forehead against mine. We were jolted back into reality by the sharp pinging of his pager. He fished it out of his pocket, frowning as he read the message. "Dammit," he hissed under his breath. "My patient is coding, I have to go." He grabbed his papers, jumping up before he paused, leaning down to kiss me again—this time softer. "Do you want to get drinks tonight?" he asked, as he reached the door and looked back to me.

I felt my cheeks burn as I nodded a yes, trying to hide my excited grin. "Yeah I'll be there."


End file.
